How My Life Changed Forever
by Pinkpoodle8
Summary: Meet Claire. She doesn't have what you would call a perfect life. She gets terrible treatment from her family at home, and all she wants to do is show her dancing to the world. And after moving from Boston to Chicago, she meets two girls, and watches her dreams unfold right in front of her very eyes.
1. One Single Night

**Hey guys! Sorry for the **_**really long **_**break. I've been **_**so busy**_**. But I found this chapter on my computer somewhere, and, well, why not upload it?**

**I want to say thank you to the people that like the prologue. You guys kept me going with this story.**

**I also want to thank everyone who is still reading this. The people who didn't forget about me.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shake It Up. I only own my OC's.**

And now, here is the first chapter of "How My Life Changed Forever"!

**Chapter 1**

"Alright, that's enough everybody. Pack up, and I will see all of you tomorrow."

I went over to my bag and put it over my shoulder. I then waved good-bye to the class and began to head home.

It was a cool, fall, day, and as I was walking, I could feel the wind blowing.

But before I continue, I should probably tell you who the hell I am, right?

Hi. I'm Claire. Claire Pennington. I'm 15 years old, live in Boston, Massachusetts, and go to Kadlees High School, and plan to go to college once I graduate. That is, if my family will allow that. I do good in school, it's just that my family isn't so big on me going to college.

Anything else you should know? Nope, that's probably it.

Oh wait! I almost forgot something. I forgot the most important thing about me!

I'm a dancer.

Dance has always been my thing. Ever since I was 8, that is. It was a special day, the day I started dancing. Dance is my life, and I don't know what I would do without it.

I take three styles of dance: lyrical, tap, and hip-hop. I don't know why, but hip-hop has always been my favorite. I like lyrical and tap, it's just that… when you're dancing hip-hop, there's no rules. I like that.

That's where I'm walking home from, actually. Hip-hop rehearsal. Dance is a far walk from my house, but my parents don't wanna waste their time driving me to rehearsal all the time.

So, after 20 minutes of walking, I'm finally home.

I take my keys out of my bag and unlock the door. I don't bother to tell anyone that I'm home though, it's not like they care.

"Claire!" my step-dad snaps at me as soon as I take my first step inside.

"Oh, uh… hi Mark." I say quietly, nervous. I _never _refer to Mark as my dad. He demands that I _never _refer to him as dad. And I don't argue with that. Mark will _never _be my dad.

"You were supposed to be home 15 minutes ago! Where have you been?!"

"I'm… I'm sorry Mark. But Miss. Diane kept us late, she wanted to run a number one last time and-" I begin, nervous.

"There are no excuses. You know that. You're lucky that we even _let_ you take dance, and you know our rules."

"I don't get why you even let her take those classes." my older brother, Carter says. "She's not even _good!_"

"Oh shut up, you." I mumble to him, looking at my brother.

Mark glances me a look, and I look down at the floor.

When Mark glances away from me, I go up to my room. It's the only room that I feel comfortable in. I then turn on the TV in my room (it was a gift from my friend Kaylee), to 'Shake It Up, Boston'.

'Shake It Up, Boston' is a local dance show that is filmed about a half-hour away from my house. I discovered it about a month after I started dancing. It's been my favorite show since. And it's my absolute _dream_ to be cast as a dancer. Hopefully, it will happen one day. Scratch that. I _know_ it will happen one day.

After the host, Peter Michaels, introduces the show, the dancers start dancing.

Sometimes, as I'm sitting down and watching TV, I wish that a fairy godmother could just float down here and help me with all of my problems. But I know that fairies don't exist, and unforchantly, they never will.

So I just sit down on my bed, watch the show, and be happy that I'm all alone.

xox

Once the show is over, my mom screams at me to come down for dinner. So I shut off my TV and go downstairs. I'm obedient when it comes to my parents. That's just me.

I come downstairs to find my parents and my brother already sitting at the table.

"Sit down, you." Mark says sharply, pointing at the empty chair.

I sit down and begin to put some potatoes on my plate. But as I'm doing that, I get interrupted.

"Your father has some important news to tell you both." my mom says.

Me and Carter glance at each other, which we do when we get nervous.

"Yes, Mark?" Carter asks. Even though Mark likes Carter a whole lot more than me, Carter doesn't like calling Mark our "dad", either

"Well," Mark began, "my job location got moved. To Chicago."

"And?" Carter asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Since I really need this job, I accepted the move."

I drop my fork, and it makes a loud clang noise on the plate.

"Your… Your moving to Chicago?" I ask.

"Not just me, Claire. We're _all_ moving to Chicago."

And that, everyone, is how my whole life collapsed on top of me in _one single night_.

**That's Chapter 1! Big cliffhanger, right? I hope you all enjoyed it!**

**For any new readers out there, I do that a lot, just so you know, the cliffhangers. But for any of my previous readers that have stumbled on to this story, I hope you all enjoyed the little reference in there.**

**It might be a while before I post the next chapter. I have **_**no idea**_ **when I'll be posting it.**

**Don't forget to review and tell me what you think of the story so far!**


	2. The Threat and New Neighbors

**Hey guys! I'm back! Since this is the first day of a well deserved (and hopefully wonderful) summer vacation, I decided to post this chapter, which has been sitting on my computer for a couple of weeks now.**

**I want to say thanks to everyone who has been reading this story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shake It Up. I only own Claire and my other OC's**

And now, here's Chapter 2 of "How My Life Changed Forever"!

**Chapter 2**

"Thanks again for another great show. We'll be right back here next week for more dancing fun. Until then, I'm Peter Michaels, reminding you to Shake It Up, Boston!"

I took one earbud out of my ear as I looked out of the airplane window. I'm just… really upset. We were moving, all the way to _Chicago_ for Gods sake! It's not like we're moving to another city in Massachusetts state! No. We're moving to Chicago. And there isn't a God damn thing that I could do about it.

I have to leave every thing that I actually _cared _about! My friends, my house, my school…

But what really broke my heart was that I had to leave my _dance teams_ behind.

Dance is what keeps me _strong_. It's what keeps me together. When I'm upset at Mark, or even my brother, I just imagine myself on 'Shake It Up, Boston' one day, and that make me happier.

But I can't even do that now, can I? No, I _can't._

Because, yet again, _Mark _ruined my life.

But this isn't something that I can just dance through. Cause I can't dance through _anything_ anymore.

I'm never going to be on 'Shake It Up, Boston'. It's just, _never going to happen._

Cause I don't live in Boston anymore.

I live in _stupid_ Chicago, Illinois.

xox

After the 2 and a half hour flight, we got off the plane, and settled in the airport. But when Mom had to go to the bathroom, Mark took me and Carter aside.

"Now, listen you two." Mark growled. "I don't want _any _of you two doing anything _stupid _anymore. You're not children. Your young adults."

"So Carter, no more football."

"Wait, _what?!"_

Mark smirked.

"No more football!" he growled. "And Claire, no more dance."

"Excuse me?" I asked, leaning back and raising an eyebrow.

Mark then got in my face.

"No. more. dance." he said.

"Mark, I'm still going to play football." Carter said. "I'm 17 years old. I've been playing football for 10 years now. I'm almost an adult, and you _can't_ tell me what to do."

Mark looked like he was going to _slap _Carter, but then I spoke up.

"Yeah." I agreed. "I've been dancing since I was 8, and you _are not_ going to take that away from me."

Mark looked like a tiger in the wild.

"Listen you two!" he screamed. "I will give you up for _adoption_ if you don't listen to me! You _will not_ be playing anymore football, and you _will not _be doing anymore dancing! Do you understand?!"  
We both nodded.

He then got in our faces again.

"And if you tell this to your mother…" he began. "You will wish that you were _never _born."

He then slapped us both in the face.

xox

"Good job everybody. See you tomorrow!"

CeCe Jones and Rocky Blue stepped off the 'Shake It Up, Chicago' stage and went over to the bench where they had placed their bags.

"So," CeCe began as she and Rocky flung their bags over their shoulders. "ready for the show on Saturday?"

Rocky gave a single nod with a smile on her face.

"Yep." she said confidently, but quietly. "I'm just scared about that part where we do the one-step into the-"

"Oh _relax_, Rock." CeCe interrupted as she and her best friend began walking home. "You _got _this!"

Rocky shrugged.

"I don't know…"

CeCe then stopped walking.

"What's wrong, CeCe?" Rocky asked her, stopping as well.

CeCe sighed.

"Rocky." CeCe began. "You _got this._ You are such a talented dancer, and you have to stop doubting yourself! Gary wouldn't give it to you if he didn't think you could do it, right?"

Seconds later, Rocky shook her head.

"No." she said quietly with a smile.

CeCe smiled.

"Good." she said, grasping her best friend's hand.

They then walked home.

xox

When CeCe and Rocky got to their apartment building, they noticed a big truck parked by it in the street.

"Ooo." CeCe said, interested. "What's that?"

Rocky shrugged.

"I don't know. But let's get inside" Rocky said, grasping CeCe's wrist. "It's getting late and-"

But CeCe had already gotten closer to the truck.

Rocky rolled her eyes as she caught up with CeCe.

It was a big truck, with it's trunk wide open. Inside were _many _paper boxes. There was a lady standing on the cub with a boy who you would assume was her son. The woman was carrying so many boxes that it looked like she was going to fall! The boy then took some boxes off of the woman's hands.

"Ooo!" CeCe said excitedly, but a bit loudly. "He's cute!"

"Shh!" Rocky scolded.

Two more people then appeared. A teenage girl, not too much older than Rocky and CeCe, and a man, who one would assume was the father.

"Get the boxes and GO!" the man said loudly.

The girl nodded as she got 3 or 4 boxes out of the truck, and then headed onto the curb.

"You too, Carter! Don't just stand there! GO!"

"Yes, Mark." he said quietly, barely audible.

"Carter…" CeCe said dreamily.

"CeCe!" Rocky scolded, elbowing her best friend in the arm.

"What?" CeCe asked, not seeing what she did wrong.

"That father is _so mean!_" Who talks to their children like that?"

CeCe shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe he's just upset."

Rocky slowly nodded.

"Maybe…" she said quietly.

They then began walking to the front of the building.

"Hey!"

The girls turned around to find the man giving them a deathly stare.

"Where do you two think you're going?!" he snapped.

"Uh… we _live_ here." Rocky explained.

"We _live _here." he said, mocking Rocky.

"Hey!" CeCe said, ready to show Mark who he was talking to. "Don't mock her!"

"Don't mock her!" Mark said, mocking CeCe again.

CeCe rolled her eyes.

"Kids like you shouldn't be out this late." Mark explained.

"We're _not _kids!" CeCe explained. "We're _15 years old!_"

"_Sure _you are." Mark said, rolling his eyes.

CeCe and Rocky were _mad_.

"Listen you two." he said bitterly. "If you don't go inside in the next _3 seconds_, I'm gonna call the cops on you!"

CeCe and Rocky then turned around and went inside.

Mark smirked, glad that he had shown those kids who's boss.

xox

Once CeCe and Rocky entered CeCe's apartment (Rocky was sleeping over), CeCe's mother ran over to them in delight.

"Hey, ladies!" Mrs. Jones said excitedly. "Did you see the moving truck across the street?"

CeCe nodded.

"We did, Mom." she said, as if it was obvious. "There was a full family out there."

Rocky nodded.

"The dad was _so rude! _He was yelling at his family to bring in all of the moving boxes." Rocky explained. "He even threatened to call the police on us because we were coming back from rehearsal 'late'."

Mrs. Jones rolled her eyes.

"He's probably just upset, Rocky. Moving can be hard sometimes."

"Yeah…" Rocky said quietly, nodding.

"C'mon." Mrs. Jones said, trying to change the topic. "Dinner's ready."

The three of them headed towards the table where Flynn already was, and began eating their dinner.

xox

I noticed two girls walking as we got the boxes from the moving truck. They looked about my age. One had red hair and the other had brown hair. They were both wearing light clothes, as if they were coming back from some type of rehearsal.

I don't think that Mark had _any_ right to snap at them like that. They even told him that they're _15!_ So am I! And he was just _so rude_, to two _complete strangers!_

I sometimes want to go against Mark when he's acting rude, and stick up for whoever he's tormenting. I just _hate_ him, and I don't want him to think that he's the king of this family, or life, for that matter. But sometimes it's hard, and my nerves are stronger than my confidence.

With Mark yelling and screaming at us (and sometimes, random people for being 'in our way'), it took us _3 hours_ for us to unpack _everything. _And Mark barely even _helped!_ He just slept on the couch, snoring and drooling.

At 11:00, I finally went into my new room. I had tried to place things in the best way I could to make it resemble my own room back home. Some of it worked, but some of it… didn't.

It was after I got dressed when my brain suddenly remembered what Mark had said in the airport.

"_No. more. dance."_

I shook it off.

For one of the first times in my life, I don't _care_ what Mark says. He could say no more _food_, or _water_, or _clothing_, but it doesn't mean that I have to _listen _to him. Mark _isn't_ my father. He's not the one who sat there with Mom in the hospital room 15 years ago. He's not the one who raised me as a baby. Mark can't tell me what to do, because he's not my _father_.

And he will _never_ be my father.

So just because he told me that I can't dance anymore doesn't mean that I'm going to _listen_ to him.

Cause I'm not.

I'm gonna go to the _first_ dance studio I can _find_ tomorrow morning, and see if I can enroll.

Because I'm still gonna dance.

Even if it kills me.

**So, that's Claire for ya! Shy, but spunky Claire! I hope you all liked this chapter! **

**Sorry if you find this really short! I didn't want to put too much in one chapter!**

**I'm **_**definitely**_ **going to be writing more, cause school is **_**finally **_**done, but I start camp on Monday, and I go away quite frequently, since I'm in the upper division. I'll try to post at least one chapter a week, though, maybe even two if I'm not that busy. But if I don't post as much as I promise to, I'm sorry.**

**Don't forget to review and tell me what you think of the story!**


	3. Authors Note

**Hey guys! So I've realized that no one has reviewed so far and let me know how this story is, which makes me realize that I shouldn't be writing this story if no one likes it. I'm having some writers block on it anyway. So please review and let me know what you think, and if you don't like it, I'll stop. Thanks, and I love you all! **


	4. New Friends

**Hey guys! I apologize, I really do apologize for not updating as promised. Camp just keeps me **_**so busy**_**, and I've barely had any time to write! But I'm back, so yay!**

**I want to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I'm so glad that you like the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shake It Up. I own my OC's and that's all.**

Here's Chapter 3 of "How My Life Changed Forever"!

**Chapter 3**

I woke up the next morning to my alarm clock beeping it's usual annoying sound. I turned around and shut if off, not wanting anyone to hear me. I had gotten up _especially _early.

I got up and walked over to my closet. I want my first day outfit to be good. _Really_ good.

I finally decided on a frilly pink tank top, jeans, and black combat boots. And after brushing up and doing my make-up, I think I look _really nice_.

I then went downstairs and grabbed a bagel from the pantry. And you _will not believe_ who I saw once I turned around.

"Carter?" I asked quietly.

He turned around.

"Oh, uh… hey Claire." he said quietly "What are you doing up so early?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing…" I replied.

Carter sighed as he walked closer to me.

"Promise not to tell Mark this?" he asked me quietly.

I nodded,

Carter took a deep breath.

"I… uh… well… I'm trying out for the football team." Carter said quietly.

"Really?" I asked.

Carter nodded.

"So what's up with you?" he asked.

I took a deep breath.

"I'm want to find a dance studio." I said quietly. "I don't _care _what Mark says, I'm still gonna dance."

Carter smiled.

"And _I'm_ still gonna play football." he said.

I nodded.

"Totally." I agreed.

We then exited the house together.

xox

Once me and Carter exited the block, we asked a few people what the best dance studios were around here. Many people said that Miss Nancy's Fancy Dance Academy was pretty good, so we went over to our new school so that Carter wouldn't miss his tryout, and I then found a cab to drive me over to Miss Nancy's Fancy Dance Academy.

Once the cab dropped me off (and I payed), I went inside.

The studio has pink walls, and a nice hard floor. The woman at the front desk beamed when she saw me.

"Hello, sweetheart." she said. "What can I do for you today?"

I walked over to the desk.

"Well, I, uh, just moved here, and I was wondering if I could sign up for classes." I said.

The woman nodded as she ducked down.

"Here's the schedule." she said. "Take a look at it and see what works for you."

I nodded as I sat down in the waiting area.

After sitting down for a good ten minutes, I found a tap and lyrical class back-to-back on Mondays. And I found a hip-hop class the next day, on Tuesdays.

After telling her what classes I would like to take, she tallied it up.

"Five hundred and fifty." she said, looking at me.

I widened my eyes.

"Dollars?!" I exclaimed.

The woman nodded.

"Dance isn't easy." she explained, as if it _isn't _obvious.

_No way_ can I afford this. Dance wasn't _nearly _this expensive back in Boston!

"Uh…" I began, twirling my foot in circles on the floor. "Can I come back later and pay? I have to go to school."

At least that's not a _whole _lie. Cause it isn't. By the time I catch a cab, and go to school, I'll be just in time.

The woman nodded.

"Come back any time." she said with a smile.

I nodded.

"Thank you." I said, and then exited the door.

xox

As soon as I stepped out the door, I _immediately_ took notice of something different. It's _raining._

_Oh goody._ I think sarcastically. Just _what I need._

I put on my black jacket, and then attempt to walk down the sides of the stores, under the barriers. But I must have tripped on something, because the next thing I know, I'm stumbling backwards.

Just as I'm about to fall, I feel someones arms under mine. I regain my balance, stand up, and turn around to find two girls who look about my age.

One has red hair and brown eyes, and is wearing a black tank top, under a striped jacket, with red jeans, and combat boots.

The other one has dark brown hair and eyes, and is wearing a teal and black striped shirt, under a black leather jacket, with purple jeans, and white and gold sneakers. I assume that these girls care _very _much about their fashion. I do too, it's just that... I don't wear _purple _jeans.

"Thanks." I mumbled quietly to them. "I don't know what would happen if I had fallen." I added quietly, looking down for a second, and then back up.

"Well, you would have gotten dirty and wet, and it would have been a disaster!" the redhead said cheerfully.

The other girl rolled her eyes and even elbowed the redhead in the shoulder.

"That's CeCe." she said. "I'm Rocky."

I nodded.

"I'm Claire." I said quietly."

It then started to completely _downpour._

"Crap." I mumbled to myself.

"Where do you need to go?" Rocky asked, seconds later.

"Uh…" I began, reaching into my bag and taking out a piece of paper. "John Hughes High School."

Rocky and CeCe beamed.

"That's our school too!" CeCe said, pointing to herself in the chest.

I beamed as well.

"Do you have a ride?" I asked them. "Because, well… I don't."

Rocky nodded.

"My older brother Ty is in the car." she explained. She then looked at her phone.

"We better get going, unless we want to be later." she said again.

I nodded.

"Let's go." I said, and the three of us then got into the car.

This is good! I'm making some friends! This is _really good!_

Maybe things _will_ start to go uphill from here…

**That's Chapter 3 for you! I hope you all enjoyed it!  
Sorry if you find this chapter to be short! I've been experiencing some writers block, and, well… writers block is **_**never **_**good.**

**As I said before, I'm **_**really **_**sorry for the lack of updates, and I'm **_**definitely **_**going to try to write more. I **_**promise**_ **it this time.**

**As always, don't forget to review and tell me what you think. Reviews motivate me **_**a lot**_**.**


	5. Being Late Can Lead To Things

**Hey guys! Sorry for the delay! Right after I finished camp, I went away with my family. It was fun. **_**Really **_**fun. But I meant to post sooner than now, so I'm sorry if anyone's mad at me for that.**

**Thanks for the reviews and reads. I appreciate them a lot.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shake It Up. I own Claire and my OC's. That's it.**

Here's Chapter 4 of "How My Life Changed Forever"!

**Chapter 4**

When I got to school, I noticed two things. One is that everyone here dresses a bit weird. And the other one is that I'm late.

Well, if being in the hall alone means you're late, then, yeah, I guess I'm late.

And I'm not too happy about it.

After dropping me off, the bell immediately rang, and Rocky, Cece, and Ty went to class, leaving me here alone. Just when I think I have some friends, _bam, _they abandoned me here, in a school that's all new to me!

"Miss!" somebody snapped at me loudly "Shouldn't you be in class right now?"

I turn around to find a woman looking at me. I assume she's a teacher.

"Oh, uh, sorry." I began quietly. "But today is my first day here... and I don't know where my class is..."

The woman rolls her eyes.

"Well maybe we should have gotten here earlier, hmm?" she whispered, and then walked away.

After two or three minutes looking for room 311, I finally found it. History. Just simple history.

I opened the door slowly, and everyone in the room stared at me.

"Oh!" the male teacher said excitedly. "You must be Claire!"

I nodded.

"Welcome." he said to me. "Take a seat next to Cece over there." he added, pointing to her.

Cece? Cece's in _this_ class?!

She waved over to me.

I sat down, and, well, that's how my day began.

xox

Today wasn't as bad as I thought. Cece's in most of my classes, and Rocky's in one: Honors Algebra. I even sat with them at lunch!

"So," Rocky began as we walked home from school. "what were you doing by Miss Nancy's Fancy Dance Academy this morning."

I stop what I'm doing and look up at her.

"Huh?" I asked her, a bit disoriented.

"Miss Nancy's Fancy Dance Academy." Cece repeated. "What were you doing there?"

I bit my lip.

"I was... signing up for classes." I said quietly, twirling my foot in a circle. "I'm a dancer."

Rocky and Cece gasped.

"What?" I asked them quietly.

"We're... We're dancers too!" Cece exclaimed, pointing to herself in the chest.

I gasped as well.

"Wow." I said quietly, shocked. "That's cool."

Both of them nodded.

"We're actually on our way to rehearsal." Rocky explained. "Wanna come?"

Hm… That's a hard one. _Should_ I go?

_Should_ I risk getting into trouble by Mark? Or should I do another risky thing today? Should I let my fears get the best of me, or do what _I_ really want to do?

"Sure." I said with a nod and a smile. "Sounds fun."

So we all started walking to Miss Nancy's Fancy Dance Academy.

Or at least, that's where I _thought_ we were going, until we took a wrong turn.

"Where are we going?" I asked quietly, looking at the dance studio behind me. "The studio is that way." I added, pointing to it.

Rocky and Cece smiled at each other for a second, and then looked back at me.

"Shake It Up, Chicago!" she said cheerfully. "Where else?"

**That's the chapter! Sorry that it's so short! Like I said before, I've been really busy, and I still have a bit of writers block, so I'm trying everyday.**

**Unforchantly, summers almost over and I start school in two days, which I'm not really looking forward to. But believe it or not, I'm actually more busy in the summer than I am during the school year. I go away about every other week with camp, but I only have a few busy days during the school year, with my activities and all. So I'm going to try to fit some more writing time in my schedule, and hope that my writers block goes away.**

**And, finally, don't forget to review. I appreciate reviews, and they always make me work faster.**


	6. Who's Untalented Now?

**Hey everyone! Wow, **_**2 months.**_ **Wow. I apologize greatly. I never expected this chapter to take so long. Writers block sucks, okay? It truly does suck. I just had no idea what to do with this chapter! But I got something, and something is better than nothing right?**

**I think I've gotten a couple of reviews since my last update (to my **_**great **_**surprise), so if that's true, thanks for that.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shake It Up, or any of it's characters. I only own my OC's.**

So now, without further ado, here's Chapter 5 of "How My Life Changed Forever"!

**Chapter 5**

Did I just hear that right?

Shake It Up, _Chicago?!_

There's a Shake It Up in _Chicago?_

Apparently so.

The building is _humongous._ Inside and out. There's people doing flips, and spinning on their _heads,_ and... wow! There's _a lot _of talent here.

"Hey, girls!"

What snaps me out of my thoughts is a man walking towards us. He doesn't look mad (thankfully). He has a smile on his face.

"Hey, Rocky and Cece, ready for rehear-"

He then looks over at me.

"Who's she?" he asked.

Before I could answer though, he spoke again.

"Want an autographed headshot?" he asked.

"Uh..." I began.

"Of course you do!" he interrupted. "I'm Gary Wilde!"

He then gave me about five pictures of himself. The _same_ five pictures.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rocky roll her eyes.

"He does that." she said. "_A lot."_

I rolled my eyes in response.

"Just to let you know." she added, putting a hand on my shoulder.

I nodded, understanding her _completely._

xox

After Rocky and Cece got changed into some rehearsal attire, they went up to the big stage in the center of the room as the self-centered man from before and other men begin giving them some choreography.

After watching the rehearsal for a few minutes (that, and me distracting myself with my cell phone), all of the dancers took a water break. My phone then buzzed, meaning that something has happened in my world (probably in Boston). As I was looking at it though, I heard a voice in the weirdest accent that I had heard in my _life._

"Oh look, Gunther, another one."

I looked up from my phone to find two teenagers, probably no older than us. One's a boy and the other is a girl. They look kinda alike, and are wearing _way _too much glitter and bling.

"Um, excuse me?" I asked, starting to getting a bit defensive. "I don't think I know you."

The female gasped.

"You," she began, pointing at me with a weak finger. "don't know _us?" _she added, pointing to herself and the boy with a much stronger finger. She and the boy then cleared their throats.

"I'm Gunther!"

"And I'm Tinka!"

"And we're the Hessenheffers!" they exclaimed, ending with a pose.

I nodded slowly, not quite sure what's up with these people.

"Okay..." I said, nodding slowly. "That's nice to know..."

Both of them nodded proudly.

"And you're here... why?"

The girl (something with a T, right?) rolled her eyes.

"Uh, _hello? _This is Shake It Up, Chicago! Why do you _think_ we're here?"

I didn't say anything.

"So, are you going to get off of your butt soon, or are you just going to just sit there like the untalented nobody you really are?"

_That_ got me mad. _That_ got me steamed.

And _that_ got me motivated to stand up and show her who's boss.

"Who are you calling untalented?!" I snapped, getting into both of their faces (but mostly the girl's). "I hope you're not referring to me. Because if I was untalented, could I do _this?"_

I then did three a la secondes, into pirouettes, and then did a chaîné turn into a renverse'.

"Who's untalented now?" I whispered, smiling at both siblings.

They weren't the only people who saw me, though.

Rocky saw me. Cece saw me. Heck, I think every dancer on Shake it Up, Chicago saw me!

Including Gary Wilde.

But that's not all.

Guess who I saw, standing in the doorway?

_Mark._

**Dun dun dun! Cliffhanger! I do that a lot, just so you know, so sorry about that.**

**I know this chapter is bit on the short side, but I'm sorry. Dealing with writers block, along with school, is just plain out hard. I try to write everyday, but that doesn't always succeed. **

**I also want to say thanks to whoever has stuck with me this far. I haven't been the best writer, you know, updating wise. As I said before, I try to write everyday, but that doesn't always work out. So thanks if you're still reading this story.**

**I'm aiming to have at least another chapter (or maybe ever 2!) posted before the end of the month, just so you know. But if that doesn't happen, then I'm sorry. But I really am trying!**

**Oh, and please don't forget to review! They always make my day, and make me work that much faster, knowing that I have people to entertain.**


	7. One Week

**I feel proud of myself. That I'm posting two chapters in one month. I didn't think that I could do it, but it's happening.**

**I've realized that even though reviewers motivate me and always make my day, I have other reasons for writing my story. It's something that I **_**want**_ **to do, and I'm not really going to let anything stop that.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shake It Up, because if I did, the show wouldn't be over. I only own Claire and my other OC's**

Here's Chapter 6 of "How My Life Changed Forever"!

**Chapter 6**

My whole world just completely shatters, right in front of me.

I don't really know what is going to happen. I just have to wait and find out.

"H… Hi, Mark." I said quietly, giving him a little wave.

"_Claire Marie Pennington!"_ Mark booms, stomping over towards me. "What the _hell _do you think you're-"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Gary Wilde said, running in between of me and Mark. "What's going on here?"

"I told her _specifically _that when we move to Chicago, she quits the whole 'dancing' thing. Did we _not _have a conversation about that?" Mark explained, looking at me in the eye.

I look down at the floor for a minute, and the back up.

"We did." I said quietly. "But I wasn't dancing." I added quickly.

Mark rolled his eyes.

"Oh, _really?"_ he asked, an eyebrow raised. "Because I just saw you spinning, and jumping, and-"

"I'm here with my friends!" I exclaimed, stomping my foot on the ground.

I then moved over to the side so that they could be exposed to him.

"Hey..." Rocky said nervously, giving him a wave. Cece gave him a nervous wave also.

"You're the trespassers from last night!" Mark exclaimed, pointing at them. "The girls outside the building!"

Cece rolled her eyes.

"For the millionth time, Captain Oblivious, we _live _there." she explained.

Mark growled a bit. I'm used to it, but if _definitely_ threw Cece and Rocky a bit off guard.

"What's so bad about her dancing, anyway?" Gary asked "She's not in a bad environment, we don't do anything inappori-"

"I just don't want her dancing." Mark interrupted with a shrug. "She should be doing something better, at the age she's at. And as her legal guardian, it's my decision to make. _Period._ Done with."

Mark then looked over at me.

"Do I make myself clear, young lady?"

I nodded.

"_Crystal_ clear."

Mark grinned.

"Perfect." he mumbled. "Now, let's go home."

Mark grabbed my arm, he then started walking, with me following him, reluctantly.

We were just about to walk off set, when I felt someone else grab my arm.

"One week."

We both turned around to face Rocky.

"Excuse me?" Mark asked, an eyebrow raised.

Rocky took a breath before speaking again.

"Give her one week to dance on the show." Rocky explained quickly. "And if it doesn't work for you, then she'll quit."

_Excuse me? Since when did _I _agree to this?!_

"Why should I?" Mark snapped "I made rules for her, and she needs to learn to follow them."

"And I understand that." Rocky said.

"So why should I let her do this?" Mark exclaimed, his voice rising.

"Cause she's pretty amazing."

I immediately looked over at Rocky after hearing that sentence. But before I could say something to her though, she spoke again.

"You can come to rehearsal every single day this week. All parents are allowed to come and watch."

Mark was silent for a few minutes, and then spoke.

"Fine." he said, a bit bitterly. "Let her dance."

He was about to walk off set, but he then turned back around.

"Oh, and just to let you know, I'm only agreeing to this because I don't think she can do it."

He then walked out.

Part of me is relieved that Mark didn't have a bigger reaction to me being here than I thought he would.

But I also feel _determined._

I heard Mark's words. I heard that he doesn't think that I can prove it to him. That I _do _have the right to dance.

But I am _so _going to prove him wrong.

I'll make sure of it.

"So," Gary began, placing a friendly arm around my shoulder. "welcome to Shake It Up, Chicago!"

xox

_Welcome to Shake It Up, Chicago!_

Am I dreaming? Did that _seriously_ just happen? Did I _just_ get a job on Shake It Up, Chicago? Okay, _so_ _what _if it isn't Shake It Up, Boston? This is the closest thing to my dream that has happened. Ever!

I want to make a good impression on everybody. I want to do a good job. I can't afford to mess up. At _all._

I don't think thinking about all of this is going to help me fall asleep anytime soon. I sigh as I set my alarm for the morning, and I then shut off the light, and began to fall asleep.

xox

The next morning, after getting dressed, I went downstairs to make myself some breakfast and coffee. I found Carter down there also.

"How was your tryout?" I asked quietly, continuing to make my bagel.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Carter glance over at me.

"Huh?"

I rolled my eyes as I turned to face him.

"Your football tryout." I explained. "How was it?"  
Carter was blank for a minute, but he then smiled.

"I made it." he said quietly. "I made the team. As _quarterback."_

I smiled.

"Just how you like it." I said quietly.

Carter dusted his hands off as a sign of success, and then stood up and nodded.

"Indeed, little sis." he said, ruffling my hair a bit.

He then got his backpack, swung it over his shoulder, and left the house, closing the door behind him.

xox

School was… _interesting _today.

Somehow, the word had got out that I would be on Shake It Up, Chicago this week.

"Alright." I had said in school today, in between classes. "Which one of you spilt the details?"

Rocky slammed her locker door shut, and then looked over to Cece, a bit of dissatisfaction on her face.

"What?" Cece exclaimed, putting her hands up defensively. "It wasn't me!"

Rocky had given her an even _more _intimidating look at that point.

Cece then put her hands down and rolled her eyes.

"Okay, fine, it _was _me." she admitted. "But did you _seriously _expect me _not_ to tell anyone? I mean, like, this is pretty big news!"

I chuckled and rolled my eyes.

"Good point." I said quietly. "But next time, just make sure you ask me before making me the celebrity of the day."

Cece nodded.

"I'll try." she said, a mischievous smile on her face.

The bell then rang, and the three of us rushed over to our next class.

xox

After school, Carter had football practice. You'd think that I'd be upset, right? You'd think that I'd have to walk home by myself, in day _two _of horrible rain.

Well, if you guessed that, you are _so _wrong.

Guess where _I'm_ going after school today.

Shake It Up, Chicago.

After school, Rocky's brother Ty drove us to set. And it's still the same as yesterday. People are dancing on their feet, spinning on their heads, you name it, there's someone's doing it.

I'll admit it, I'm scared. Like I said before, this is closest thing to Shake It Up, Boston, and I want today to be good.

After changing into dance clothes, one of the choreographers blew a whistle, and walked centerstage.

"Okay everybody, let's get started."

**Ooo, things are starting to get exciting! You're gonna have to wait though to see what happens next!**

**With the holidays and all, my schedule is starting to get more busy than I expected. I hope to post next month, but I'm not sure if that will happen or not. I hope it will though.**

**Oh, and please don't forget to review!**


	8. The End?

**I've officially given up, I think. I just... I just don't really have that much motivation anymore for this story. Between that, and having no more reviewers, I just really think I'm going to call it quits for now. I'm sorry, but it's just what has to happen.**


End file.
